Shadowsblade a Christmas Tale: Written by Shadowsblade

Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and without.

A Christmas vacation and a world of toy deliveries saved

In this chapter

Christmas

 © 2017, by Susan J. Charles. All rights reserved

Janet tried her hardest, but she couldn't prevent herself from breathing a sigh of relief as she pressed her employee pass against the scanner, officially ending another week of monotonous work. As Janet quickly discovered, though, she wasn't the only one feeling relieved.

"At. Last!" Rebecca- one of Janet's colleagues, a woman in her early thirties- giggled as she and a handful of her colleagues walked alongside Janet to the vast supermarket's locker room. "Dunno about you ladies, but I am in a mood to unwind!"

“Go in peace to love and service the lord,” Reverend Stubbs proclaims with a wide smile on his face.

“In the name of Christ, amen,” I- and the rest of the congregation- reply.

“And on a slightly more festive note,” the young priest says, “a very, very Merry Christmas to you all!”

“Merry Christmas!” The congregation replies with light-hearted chuckles. I take a deep breath as I raise from my pew and help my grandmother to her feet. As usual, we’re one of the last to leave, and as usual, grandma stops to talk to the young vicar before we head out of the small church.

It wasn’t that Natalie hated Christmas; she could never be that cynical. In the face of blinking lights, baubles, and ornate decoration she stared ahead, and traced the steps between her flat and the office. As far as she was concerned it was a day like any other.

Her hands balled in the pockets of her coat - one pressed against the phone, the other grabbing lint - while she pressed through the carols in the air. She smiled tightly, threw a dollar into a charity bucket without a thought for who they collected, and marched on. How could she begrudge them for trying to spread joy?

“The Many Faces of Adira Potter: Chapter 31”
By = Fayanora

Chapter Thirty-one: The Yule Ball

Note 1: Text in 'Italics and British quotes' is Parseltongue.

Note 2: Once more, I apologize for the bits and pieces of canon dialogue/narration here and there.

Playing her way 2 - Chapter 13

© D.L.

Zoe was led flat on her back on the floor, her legs spread wide apart. Her dress had been pulled up above her waist and the tights on her legs had been torn away from her body. She wasn't wearing any knickers, but a scrap of torn material thrown against a wall may have once been a thong. Bruises were rapidly forming on the inside of her thighs. She was perfectly still, and her lips were turning blue.

Playing her way 2 - Chapter 10

© D.L.

Emily stretched and yawned, slowly becoming conscious of the light creeping in around the curtains. Raising her head, she looked across to see that the other bed in her room was empty. Glancing at the clock, she noted it was gone nine in the morning on Boxing day.

Ashley/Madison's ward is revealed. Meanwhile, Christmas comes to Twin Falls and with it, the entire Patterson/Feinstein family, including Emma and Sophia. With the combination of the shiny plastic that Christmas morning will bring and the constant desire to untether her imagination with her cousins, surrender to the serum may be inevitable.

Here is the next part of Seanna's story, I hope you all enjoy it.

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Seanna woke to the sound of the radio playing songs she liked, finding herself alone in her bed, then remembered that she had tucked the two girls in together in Leilani's room the night before. It felt odd to not have a child snuggled up to her while she was sleeping.

Playing her way 2 - Chapter 8

© D.L.

The first stop of the tour was the library, which was close to the reception. A number of girls were quietly working at tables set up in the centre of the room. Along one side of the room, and on a mezzanine level above, stood bookshelves filled with books. A number of computer workstations were down another wall. One side of the double height room was glass. The final wall being the one to the corridor and reception area.

Playing her way 2 - Chapter 6

© D.L.

The group proceeded through to the dining room.

"Watch the girls as they sit," Tom whispered in Eddie's ear. "You don't want to end up with an uncomfortable crease under your bum from the skirt."

The young boy had calmed down a bit after seeing his elder cousin dressed in a similar fashion.

Here is the next part of Seanna's adventures as she slowly watches her life change in ways she had never dreamed possible.

Most of the cautions given here refer to events that happened to Asemba before Seanna rescued her. The violence one also indirectly refers to Leilani, who witnessed the brutal beating of her mother a few days earlier, followed by her mother's death the next day.

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Playing her way 2 - Chapter 3

© D.L.

Marilyn put the last of the shopping bags into the boot of the car. Shutting the hatchback, she pushed the trolley over to the trolley park before unlocking the car doors and getting into the driver's seat.

Playing her way 2 - Chapter 2

© D.L.

Emily sat on the bulging suitcase as Anna carefully zipped it closed. The suitcase was only moderately sized and contained most of Anna's clothes for the fortnight that she would be staying with the Bridges.

Emily's suitcase was only half full, and she had offered to carry some extra sets of shoes for Anna. Each girl also had a rucksack carrying small gifts to put under the family Christmas tree.

Here is the next part of Seanna's story. Seanna's life is beginning to change for the better. I hope you all enjoy the story.

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Seanna sat in the front passenger seat of her car, fuming at the thought that anyone would dare to take Leilani from her. What made this even odder was the fact that they had no need to involve Child Services, as they could provide for Leilani quite well thanks to the fact that the various divisions that were part of Ramsay Enterprises all brought in at least modest profits, even the rental housing unit division.